Pouring spout



March 21, 1944. M; DE COSMQ POURING SPOUT Filed April 19, 1941 INVENTOR M/chae/ defosmo ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1944 POURING SPOUT Michael. de Cosmm. Oakland, Calif assi'gnor to Angela M. Norma, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 19, 1941, Serial No. 389,403

8:" Claims.

Myinvention relates to a spout for pouring the contents from'a container such as a can.

It is among the objects of" my invention to provide a spout which automatically establishes communication with the container to which it is attached.

Another object. is to provide a spout having a pouring head with spaced means for penetrating the container to give separate discharge and air inlet passages between the. container andhead.

Another object is to provide a spout of the character described having an improved pourin head and closure adaptedfor simplified production and providing an article easily cleaned. by the housewife during: use.

A further object is tov provide improved. means for retaining thespout on the. container.

A still further object-is to provide a spout retaining means which. also functions as a. sealing device.

The invention possesses other objects and. fea: tures-of advantage; some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set: forth in the following, description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species of my invention, as I may adoptvariant embodiments thereof within the. scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing;

Figure 1 is a side; elevational view of; a spout embodying, the improvements ofv my invention;

and

Figure 2 is, a longitudinalvertical; sectional view of thesame with the: coverinclosed position.

Figure 3. is a bottom view of the spout, showing a modified formof the penetratingrmeans; and.

Figure 4 is adetail sectional: vie-wot the modifled. penetrating meansiengaged with a can.

In terms of broad. inclusion, my spout comprises a head. having a mainpouringpassage, and means on the head for penetrating the container to provide branch passages leading from the main passage and opening into the container. The branches provide discharge and air inlet passages, and the penetrating means are preferably spaced to enter the container at separate points. A 010- sure is also provided for the pouring head. In my preferred construction the penetrating means are tubular, and suction cups are disposed about the tubes for engaging the container. In a modified construction the penetrating means includes a prong for puncturing the container and adapted to establish communication between the container and pouring head.

In greater detail, and referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, my spout comprises an elongated head providing a main pouring passage l. The pouring head is preferably trough-shaped having a fiat base 2, outwardly flaring sides 3, and a pointed nose 4 with an inclined bottom terminating in a discharge opening 6. The closure for the head comprises a flat cover plate I having dependin inwardly bent side flanges 8 interengaging the flaring, side walls 3 for slidable movement longitudinally of the, head- Plate 1 completely covers the top of the trough-shaped head in closed. position, as shown inFigure 2,. and has a nose flange 9'for covering, discharge opening 6 when. the unitary closure is retracted. In. the open position, as shown inFigure 1,.nose flange 9 is extended to uncover discharge opening 6,. and the rear edge of cover plate 1 is advanced to. provide an air inlet opening II. at the rear of the pouring passage.

Means are provided on the pouring. head for penetrating a container or can [-2 to which the spout, is applied. Container I2 may bean ordinary tin can containing a liquidsuch as condensed milk', 0il or fruit juice. or. it may be any other type of container with a puncturabl'ewall. and having pourabl'e contents. Thepenetrating means pref erably comprises a pair of pointed tubes l3 spaced longitudinally of the head and depending from base 2, the forward tube. being preferably the largest. These tubes puncture the top of the container when pressure is applied to the spout; and when inserted the forward tube forms a liquid discharge passage I4 at a point adjac'ent discharge nose 4, and the rear tube forms an air inlet passage 16 at a point spaced rearwardly from the discharge passage. Whenthecontainer is tilted to pour the contents, passage It is disposed at' a higher level than the discharge passage toinsure free ingress of air'into the space above the fluid. My arrangement of spaced penetrating means thus provides an improved pouring. action in a spout of this kind.

Means areprovided for retaining the' spout" on the container. For this purpose a rubber suction cup I1 is disposed about each of the tubes l3 for engaging the top of the container when the spout is pressed down. These suction cups not only provide a simple and effective means for retaining the spout, but they additionaly function as sealing gaskets about the inserted tubes to prevent undesired leakage at the points of puncture.

In addition to the above features, my improved pouring spout has the advantage of being easily cleaned by the housewife due to the fact that the closure is removable to expose the interior of the parts. Also, the particular shapes of the parts enables them to be made by simple and inexpensive stamping operations.

Figures 3 and 4 show a modified construction in which the penetrating means comprises a depending prong 2| formed as an integral knockout from base 2 of the pouring spout. The prong is pointed with sharpened edges; to facilitate puncturing" can top 22, and is hook-shaped to provide a recess 23 underlying base 2, into which portions of the can top may project. See Figure 4. Thus, when the prong is inserted through the can top it forms a slot, and when the spout is moved laterally the hooked prong shifts under an end of the slot to lock the spout-on the can.

This shifting movement also opens the other end 24 of the can slot into register with an overlying aperture 25 provided in base 2, thereby forming a passage between the can and pouring head.

" There are two of these penetrating prongs as shown'in Figure 3, one providing a discharge passage and the other an air inlet passage. .The prongs are arranged parallel, with their recesses 23. oppositely disposed, so that they simultaneously engage under the ends of their respective slotsupon turning the spout relative to the can. A simple backward twist unhooks the prongs when it is desired to remove the spout.

In order to seal the can portions about the punctures, 1 preferably form annular beads 21 on the underside of base 2; and shape the prongs to provide a rounded cam or knob 28 for pressing upwardly on the can top when the prongs are moved thereunder, as shown in Figure l. Beads 2'! are disposed about knobs 28 as centers so that the can top is deflected upwardly to exert an even bearing pressure on the beads, thus insuring a tight seal. lar rubber gaskets may be glued to base 2, but beads 21 are preferred because they are formed as an integral part of the spout and provide a less expensive construction.

In order to provide a larger opening for liquid discharge from the can, the forward prong 2| is preferably provided with an angularly disposed flange 29 having sharpened cutting edges. When the prong is moved edgewise this flange'cuts out a widerslot for registration with the base aperture 2E, and adapts the spout for pouring heavier fluids. Such a flange need not be provided on the rear prong because a narrow slot width is sufiicient for air intake. For pouring lighter fluids the flange on the forward prong is also unnecessary, since the slot formed by the width ofprong 2| is wide enough.

I claim:

, 1. A spout for a container comprising a troughshaped pouring head having, a base wall with two oppositely disposed side walls and one end wall extending from the base wall, a closure on the head and having side flanges slidably embracing the side walls thereof and anend flange As an alternative structure, annuto form another end wall therefor, and means on the head for penetrating the container to provide discharge and. air inlet passages between the container and said head.

2. A spout for a container comprising a troughshaped pouring head having a base wall and lateral walls extending from the base wall and being continuous except a gap at one end of the head, a closure for the head slidably arranged on the lateral walls and having an end flange for closing the gap therein, and means on the head for penetrating the container to provide a passage between the container and said head.

retaining the head on said container.

4. A spout for a container comprising a pouring head, means on the head for penetrating the container to provide a passage between the container and said head, and a suction cup disposed about. the' penetratingmeans for engaging said container.

5. A spout for a container comprising a pouring head, a pair of tubes depending from the head for penetrating the container to provide discharge and air inlet passages between the container and said head, and suction cups disposed about said tubes for engaging said container.

6; A spout for a container comprising a troughshaped head terminating in a pouring outlet at one end thereof, a'closure'comprising a plate for closing the top of the head and having a downturned lip for closing'said outlet, means for slidably mounting the closure on the head to uncover said outlet and to uncover a portion of thehead adjacent the opposite end, and means on the head for penetrating the container to provide a passage between the container and said head.

7. A spout for a container comprising a pouring head with a base having apertures, and a pair of hook-like prongs on the head for penetrating the container, said prongs being disposed to permit relative turning movement between the head and container to interlock the two together and to register said apertures'with openings formed in the container by said prongs.

8. A spout for a container comprising a pouring head with a base having an aperture, a bead disposed on said base about the aperture, a hooklike prong integrally formed on the head from material displaced from thebase to form; said aperture for puncturing a wall of the container and adapted upon relative. movement between the head and container to interlock the two together with said aperture in register Withlthe puncture formed in thecontainer by the prong, said prong 'havingan edge. adapted to bear against the inner surface of the container wall to press the wall into sealing engagement with said bead. 1

MICHAEL DE COSMO. 

